Agencies | Tehran:
Iran on Sunday reiterated that diplomacy was the only way to resolve its conflict with the United States and Israel, while saying it was still awaiting a formal response from Washington to its proposal for reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran’s conditions for reopening the waterway had not changed and that any move to restore normal shipping would depend on the United States meeting those conditions.
“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Araqchi said, according to Reuters. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.”
Iran presented the proposal during the UN General Assembly in New York and transmitted it to the United States through Qatari mediators. US President Donald Trump, however, said on Saturday that he had rejected the proposal.
Under the Iranian plan, Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear programme within seven days if Washington lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, eased sanctions on Iranian oil sales and agreed to a ceasefire that would also cover Lebanon.
Araqchi said the seven-day timetable would begin once the United States formally accepted the proposal. Initial steps would take four to five days, the strait would reopen on the sixth day and negotiations on a broader agreement would begin on the seventh day.
Despite Trump’s public rejection, Araqchi said Iran had not received a formal response through the mediators.
“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” he said, according to Reuters.
The proposal comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid the conflict. The waterway is a crucial global energy route, and the disruption has affected oil flows and contributed to wider economic pressures. Reuters reported that only 17 commodity vessels crossed the strait over one recent weekend, compared with a pre-war average of about 125 vessels a day.
Trump has repeatedly said the United States controls the strait and has demanded that Iran abandon its nuclear ambitions. His rejection of Tehran’s latest proposal was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials. Reuters subsequently reported Trump’s public confirmation.
The diplomatic efforts have nevertheless continued through intermediaries. A US official earlier described discussions with Iran as “positive and constructive”, while Qatar has played a key role in facilitating indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran.
The nuclear issue remains a major obstacle. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would not compromise on what it considers its rights under any agreement, including uranium enrichment or the transfer of highly enriched uranium out of Iran.
The current conflict began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and has since alternated between periods of fighting and pauses. The prolonged confrontation has caused heavy casualties, damaged Iran’s conventional military capabilities and placed additional pressure on its economy.
With the Strait of Hormuz remaining at the centre of the confrontation, the latest diplomatic exchange has left both sides publicly holding to sharply different conditions, while mediators continue efforts to determine whether negotiations can be revived.
